Method and system for adaptive transcoding and transrating in a video network
First Claim
1. An apparatus for downloading video content to a client device over a communication network, the apparatus comprising:
- an encoder for encoding video content according to an initial video encoding standard and an initial video encoding rate;
a storage unit coupled to the encoder for storing the encoded video content;
a transcoder coupled to the storage unit for transcoding the video content stored in the storage unit according to a modified video encoding standard and a modified video encoding rate;
a communications interface coupled to the transcoder for downloading the video content to the client device over the communication network; and
a controller coupled to and controlling the storage unit, the encoder, the transcoder, and the communications interface, the controller monitoring and determining a transmission rate of the communication network and adaptively selecting the modified video encoding standard and the modified video encoding rate based on the determined transmission rate.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A video server adaptively selects an appropriate video encoding standard and an appropriate video encoding rate for encoding video content to be downloaded to one or more video client devices over a communication network. The video server adaptively selects the video encoding standard and the video encoding rate based upon factors such as the data transmission rate of the communication network, the processing speed of the video client device, or the type of the video content to be downloaded. Once the video encoding standard and the video encoding rate are selected, video content can be transcoded prior to downloading to one or more video client devices. During the download, the video content may be adaptively transrated, such as in response to a change in the data transmission rate of the communication network.
285 Citations
39 Claims
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1. An apparatus for downloading video content to a client device over a communication network, the apparatus comprising:
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an encoder for encoding video content according to an initial video encoding standard and an initial video encoding rate;
a storage unit coupled to the encoder for storing the encoded video content;
a transcoder coupled to the storage unit for transcoding the video content stored in the storage unit according to a modified video encoding standard and a modified video encoding rate;
a communications interface coupled to the transcoder for downloading the video content to the client device over the communication network; and
a controller coupled to and controlling the storage unit, the encoder, the transcoder, and the communications interface, the controller monitoring and determining a transmission rate of the communication network and adaptively selecting the modified video encoding standard and the modified video encoding rate based on the determined transmission rate. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. An apparatus for downloading video content to a plurality of client devices over a communication network having a bandwidth, the apparatus comprising:
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an encoder for encoding video content according to an initial video encoding standard and an initial video encoding rate;
a storage unit coupled to the encoder for storing the encoded video content;
a transcoder coupled to the storage unit for transcoding the video content stored in the storage unit according to a modified video encoding standard and a modified video encoding rate;
a communications interface coupled to the transcoder for downloading the video content to the client devices over the communication network; and
a controller coupled to and controlling the storage unit, the encoder, the transcoder, and the communications interface, the controller monitoring and determining the bandwidth of the communication network and allocating at least part of the bandwidth to each of the client devices, the controller adaptively selecting the modified video encoding standard and the modified video encoding rate based on the allocated bandwidth for each client device. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10)
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11. An apparatus for downloading video content to a client device over a communication network, the apparatus comprising:
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an encoder for encoding video content according to an initial video encoding standard and an initial video encoding rate;
a storage unit coupled to the encoder for storing the encoded video content;
a transcoder coupled to the storage unit for transcoding the video content stored in the storage unit according to a modified video encoding standard and a modified video encoding rate;
a communications interface coupled to the transcoder for downloading the video content to the client device over the communication network; and
a controller coupled to and controlling the storage unit, the encoder, the transcoder, and the communications interface, the controller monitoring and determining the processing speed of the client device and adaptively selecting the modified video encoding standard and the modified video encoding rate based on the processing speed. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. An apparatus for downloading video content to a client device over a communication network, the apparatus comprising:
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an encoder for encoding video content according to an initial video encoding standard and an initial video encoding rate;
a storage unit coupled to the encoder for storing the encoded video content;
a transcoder coupled to the storage unit for transcoding the video content stored in the storage unit according to a modified video encoding standard and a modified video encoding rate;
a communications interface coupled to the transcoder for downloading the video content to the client device over the communication network; and
a controller coupled to and controlling the storage unit, the encoder, the transcoder, and the communications interface, the controller monitoring and determining the type of the video content to be downloaded and adaptively selecting the modified video encoding standard and the modified video encoding rate based on the type of the video content. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. In a video server downloading video content to a video client device over a communication network, a method of downloading the video content from the video server to the video client device, the method comprising:
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determining a transmission rate of the communication network;
adaptively selecting a video encoding standard and a video encoding rate based on the determined transmission rate of the communication network;
transcoding the video content from an initial video encoding standard and an initial video encoding rate to the selected video encoding standard and the selected video encoding rate; and
downloading the transcoded video content to the video client device over the communication network. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24)
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25. In a video server downloading video content to a plurality of video client devices over a communication network having a bandwidth, a method of downloading the video content from the video server to the video client devices, the method comprising:
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determining an available bandwidth of the communication network;
allocating at least part of the available bandwidth to a first video client device and a second video client device;
adaptively selecting respective video encoding standards and video encoding rates for the first and second video client devices based on the available bandwidth allocated to the first and second client devices;
transcoding the video content from an initial video encoding standard and an initial video encoding rate to the respective selected video encoding standards and selected video encoding rates; and
downloading the transcoded video content to first and second client devices over the communication network - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28, 29)
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30. In a video server downloading video content to a video client device over a communication network, a method of downloading the video content from the video server to the video client device, the method comprising:
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determining a processing capability of the video client device;
selecting a video encoding standard and a video encoding rate based on the determined processing capability;
transcoding the video content from an initial video encoding standard and an initial video encoding rate to the selected video encoding standard and the selected video encoding rate; and
downloading the transcoded video content to the video client device over the communication network. - View Dependent Claims (31, 32, 33, 34)
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35. In a video server downloading video content to a video client device over a communication network, a method of downloading the video content from the video server to the video client device, the method comprising:
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determining the type of the video content to be downloaded;
selecting a video encoding standard and a video encoding rate based on the determined type of the video content;
transcoding the video content form an initial video encoding standard and an initial video encoding rate to the selected video encoding standard and the selected video encoding rate; and
downloading the transcoded video content to the video client device over the communication network. - View Dependent Claims (36, 37, 38, 39)
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Specification